Game



' Nov. 15,- 1927. 1,649,082

L. L. RUSSELL GAME Filed June 14, 1927 ZSMets-Sheet l HIIIHHHI &

2 gwoemtoz L L Raga-e22.

Nav. 15, 1927.

L. L. RUSSELL GAME Filed June 14. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ll ill)

patented Nov. 15, ltlZZ.

earner caries.

LEQN L. RUSSELL, OF LIVERNEORE FALLS, MAINE.

GAME.

Application filed June This invention relates to game apparatus of thattype in which a rolling object is caused to follow a predeterminedcourse by manual manipulation of the game board. The present inventionhas for its object the provision of a game board over which rollingobjects are to be successively moved through shittingof the board so asto follow the course of the circuits in a radio receiving set. Theinvention also has for itsv object the provision of means whereby theobjects which have traveled over their respective prescribed courses maybe held at the several points oi their destinations until all of theobjects have been successfully manipulated and then all of the objectssimultaneously released to be caught in a receptacle below the gameboard. The invention is illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawings andwill be hereinafter fully set forth.

7 In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of agamc apparatus embodying my presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view with parts in section on the line l-4c ofFig. 3.

The game board 1 is a flat plate of any desired dimensions and ofrectangular outline said board beingequipped at one end with an eye orother form of handle member 2. In the upper surface of the board 1 isformed a groove or channel having several branches and constituting aguide and hazard prescribing the path of the several rolling objects oneof which is shown at 3. The channel or groove which defines the pathsfor the several objects has one end, 4, disposed at the upper left handcorner of the board and extends for a. short distance parallel with theadjacent end edge of the board. At the said end ot the channel or groovethe letter A is marked this end of the channel representing the antennaor aerial in the radio receiving cir' cuits. From the lower end of theend portion 4, the channel extends toward the right and upwardly at anacute angle. as shown at 5., and from the inner end of this obliquelydisposed portion a straight branch 6 etc tends toward the lower edge ofthe board and terminates in an opening 7- adjacent which the letterappears representing the ground connection of the set. The opening orpocket 7 extends entirely through the board and has a diameterapproximately equal to the diameter of the ball or. rolling object 3.The branch 6 represents the inductance coil having thrceturnsrepresented by the arcuate branches 8 each communicating at both itsends with the straight branch 6 and having an upstanding oval.- shapedlug" orblock 9 disposed therein whereby to'cooperate with the arcuatewall of the channel to define the path which the rolling object mustfollow. From the lower end of the straight branch 6, a branch 10 extendsparallel with the lower edge of the board and at its terminal isprovided with an opening-or pocket 11 extending therethrough andrepresenting the A battery of the radioreceiving set. The said pocket 11of the same form and dimensions as the first-mentioned pocket 7 and islocated at the extreme end of the branch channel 10. From the lower sideof the said branch channel 10 at a point in advance oi the pocket 11, a.branch 12 extends downwardly and then toward the right hand end of theboard and then upwardly parallel with said end to reach a pocket oropening L-l, said pocket or opening representing one of the telephonereceivers. It will be noted that the branch channel 12 passes around theend of the channel 10 and around the pocket representingv the A battery.Between the ends 01 the channel 10, a vertical channel 14 extendsupwardly from the upper wall of said channel 10 to a point near theupper edge of the board where it is turned to the right, as shown at 15and merges into a large circular chamber or recess 16 represent ing thetube or" the radio set. Between the ends of the vertical channel 1a,offsets 17 are formed in the side walls thereof and in the bottom ofeach offset is an opening or pocket 18, these openings or pocketsrepresenting one condenser and a suitable legend C being; placed uponthe board adjacent either oilset. Similar offsets 19 are formed in theupper and lower walls of the branch channel 15 and pockets 20 are formedthrough the bottom of these oiisets to represent a second condenserwhich is indicated by the legend C upon the board. Lines 21 may bemarked upon the surface of the board between the recess 16 and thechannels 10 and 11 to represent the electrical conncctions between thetube and the A, lmttery so asto accentuate the simulation of a radioreceiving set. From the upper side of the recess or chamber 16, achannel 22 extends tangentially therefrom toward the right band edge ofthe board and is then carried downwardly, as indicated at 23. inalinement with the terminal leg of the branch 12, a pocket or opening 24being provided at the end of said channel 23 to represent one of thetelephone receivers. Intermediate the ends of this branch 23, a pocketor opening 25 is formed through the bottom of the same and this pocketor opening represents the B battery.

On the under side 01 the garneboard there is secured a bracket 26 whichextends lengthwise of theboard and is considerably shorter than theboard the upper edge of this bracket being recessed or longitudinallynotched, as indicated at 27, thereby defining end lugs 28 whereby thebracket is secured to the board while the greater portion of its upperedge is spaced from the board. Secured rigidly to the bracket at thecenter thereof and depending therefrom a post 29 having its lower endrotatably mounted in asupport 30 consisting of a bar or bracket securedto and extending between the side plates 31 of a supporting base whichincludes an inclined top plate through which the post passes. At thelower end of the top plate 33, a pocket or depression 34 is formedtherein and at the said end of the plate on the upper surface thereofare provided ribs 35 which converge toward the said pocket and therebydirect the rolling ob jects into the pocket, it being understood thatthe several balls or other rolling objects are retained in their pocketsuntil all of the balls have been manipulated and are then permitted todrop onto the top plate 63 of the supporting base and thereupon rollinto the receptacle 34 where they are held until another player has histurn in the game. To retain the balls in the pockets. there is provideda retaining plate 36 which is slidably mounted against the under side ofthe board 1 and is constructed with alarge longitudinally extendingopening 37 which permits the board to clear the lugs 28 of the bracket:26. At the opposite sides of this opening 37, the retaining plate isalso constructed with longitudinally extending slots 38 through whichheaded pins or screws 39 are inserted into the board to su 'iport theretaining plate on the board and at the same time permit a limitedsliding movement thereof. At the right hand end of the retaining plate36. there is provided a loop or handle 40 and adjacent said handle acontractile spring it is extended between and secured to the retainingplate and the adjacent end of the bracket 26, as clearly shown in Figs.3 and 4. Itwill thus be seen that the retaining plate is normally heldin the position illustrated in the drawings and that by grasping thehandles 2 and 40 the player may turn the board pivotally so that theinclination of its surface will be varied and the travel of the rollingobject or ball 3 through the several channels may be controlled. On theinner side wall of the opening 37, a projectionA-Q is provided of propersize and form to normally extend under the ofi'sets 17 and across thepockets 18 therein so that it will support a'ball which may happen todrop into either of said pockets and adjacent the said projectionnotches 43 are provided in the wall of the opening 37 so that when theretaining plate is shifted against the influence of the spring 41 thepockets 18 will be opened and the objects therein permitted to drop ontothe top plate 33 of the supporting base. The material of. the retainingplate normallyextends over the other pockets of the game board, as willbe understood upon reference to the dotted lines in Fig. t. but throughthe retaining plate. openings flirt are provided and so located thatupon drawing out the retaining plate all the pockets will be uncoveredand the balls caught therein will be discharged. the end of the opening37 performing this oliice for the pockets representing the telephonereceivers.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawin s, the manner of using the apparatus will, it isthought. be readily undersmod. Five balls 3 are provided and they areplaced in the recess or pocket 3st until they are to be manipulated by aplayer. The first ball is placed in the end portion 4 of the channel inthe game board and is to travel from the aerial to the pocket 7representing the ground, such travel being effected by turning theboard'almut its pivot in order to cause the ball to roll by gravity overthe desired path. This first ball represents'the ground connection andmust pass'direct from the aerial to the ground pocket without passinginto or around any of the turns representing the coil and the player mayhave three trials to accompli h the desired object. provided the balldoes not pass into any of the coils. passing of the ball into one of thecoils causing the player to lose his turn. The second ball to be playedrepresents the A battery and this ball must pass from the aerial to theA battery without passing into any of the turns of the coil or into anyother pocket. while the lhird ball represents the li battery or theother part of the internal energy and must pass from the aerial to the llmtterv without passing into any of the turns of the coil or into any ofthe condenser pockets. The fourth ball played represents a part of theexternal energy absorbed by the aerial and must pass from the aerialinto the upper and out. of the lower side of each turn of the coil andthen pass to the pocket 2% representing the upper side of the telephonereceiver. This ball must not drop into any of the condenser pockets andmust pass over the B battery, the passage over the B battery, however,being easily effected inasmuch as the previously manipulated ball willbe in said pocketand fill the same. The fifth ball represents the otherpart of the external energy absorbed by the aerial and must pass throughthe several turns of the coil and then to the lower pocket of thetelephone receiver and mustnot enter any other pocket. Each player mayhave three trials for each ball, provided the ball does not stop in anyof the condenser pockets, in which event he will lose his turn. Afterall the balls have been played, the retaining plate is drawn out,whereupon the balls Will at once drop onto the top plate of the supporting base, as previously described.

The rules for scoring may, of course, be varied more or less but, as anexample, it may be said that if a player plays all the balls correctlyhe may score five points for each of the balls representing the ground,A battery. and the B battery, and ten points for each of the ballsrepresenting the telephone, maliing a total possible score ofthirty-live points. If the player places the ground ball and the twobattery balls properly Without error and then in playing the uppertelephone ball should permit said ball to drop into one of the condenserpockets, he Will lose his turn and can score only for the ground and theA battery, the B battery ball not counting.

My game apparatus is very simple and can be easily manipulated and willbe pro ductive of considerable an'iusement and will also proveinstructive. Considerable skill may. be acquired in manipulating theboard and as more skill is acquired, will prove more interesting tothose engaged in playing the game.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising a board disposed in an inclined positionand mounted for pivotal movement and provided in its upper surface witha channel and series of branch channels and having pockets formedtherethrough at various points in the several channels, rolling objectsto travel through the channels and enter selected pockets, and means onthe under side of the board to temporarily retain the balls in thepockets.

A game apparatus comprising a game board inclined from top to bottom andmounted for pivotal movement, said board having a channel and branchchannels in its upper surface and having pockets at various points inthe several channels, a rolllng object to travel through the severalchain nels and enter a selected pocket, a retaining plate mounted on theunder side of the board in a radio receiving set. a ball to travelthrough the channels and enter a selected pocket, a retaining plateslidably mounted on the under side of the board to tempo rarily hold theball in a selected pocket and having openings therethrough to registerwith the pockets in the board whereby a ball in any pocket may bedischarged, and yield-- able means holding the plate normally inball-supporting position.

4t. A game apparatus comprising a game board mounted for movement abouta tilted pivot and provided in its upper surface With a channel andbranch channels and having pockets formed at various points in thebottoms of the several channels, a retaining plate slidably mounted onthe under side of the game board and having openings therethroughadapted to register with the pockets in the game board, means foryieldably holding the retaining plate across the pockets, and handlemembers at opposite sides of the apparatus one on the game board and oneon the retaining plate ivhereby the apparatus may be manipulated.

5. A game apparatus comprising a supporting base having an inclined topplate and provided with a receptacle at the lower end of said top platea board mounted for pivotal movement in a plane parallel with the topplate and provided With pockets, and a rolling object to travel over theboard and pass through a pocket onto the top plate.

6. A game apparatus comprising a supporting base, a board having a pivotpost secured to its under side and rotatably mounted in the supportingbase. the post being tilted With respect to the base and the game boardbeing provided in its upper side with communicating channels and havingpockets formed in said channels at various points thereof, rollingobjects to travel through the channels and each enter a lected pocket,and means on the under side of the board to temporarily retain the ballsin the pockets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

pnoN L, RUSSEIL, [a s]

